A growing practice in the business world is that of office hoteling. Office hoteling involves providing work space to employees on an “as needed” or “first come first serve”  reservation basis rather than assigning permanent office space for each person to work in. It can be very effective in businesses where employees frequently work from home or otherwise spend time outside the office. Even so, it must be managed effectively if it is to work well, so here are some things you should consider before making the switch:

• Reserve private cubicle or offices for managers before opening up the rest of the space for employees in order to ensure that managers have a private area to hold meetings and one-on-one conversations in.
• Be sure there is ample meeting space available, as people may avoid coming into the office for meetings if there is not a private area to hold them in.
• Develop clear policies on the use of space, to include how they should be left when workers are finished using them.
• Provide a safe place for employees to keep their belongings in, and make sure it is readily accessible. Many companies who engage in hoteling provide a three-drawer wheeled cart known as a “puppy” for their employees.
• Think about how work space will be prepared for workers ahead of time. Will you need a concierge to reroute phone service or make other preparations beforehand?
• Since work space is provided on a first-come first-serve basis, think about whether or not you will require the use of hoteling software in order to keep up with reservations.
• You could find that workers need more than one type of work space based on the tasks they are performing. Consider all the different types of space that could be needed when coming up with your floor plan.

When used effectively, office hoteling can allow you to reduce costs by creating an agile workplace resulting in your business renting a much smaller office than what would otherwise be necessary.